Anyone who likes to take selfies knows that whether the photo is taken well or not, the angle chosen is very important. There is a saying called "horizontal into the side of the ridge into a peak, far and near the height is different", although you are still you, but from different angles, there will be a different feeling. It's so good to take pictures of people, it's true to take pictures of horses, and it's true to take pictures of copper galloping horses. Someone has to ask, who is this copper galloping horse?
Copper galloping horse we all sound very unfamiliar, but it has a common name we are all familiar with, that is, "Ma Ta Fei Yan", in the 2015 revision of the primary school Chinese textbook, an article titled "Ma Ta Fei Yan", introducing this national treasure level cultural relics was successfully selected. Moreover, the National Tourism Administration has also designated "Ma Ta Fei Yan" as a Chinese tourism symbol, and now many of our cities, especially some cities with popular attractions, can see this image.
Today, this horse is not only a symbol of Chinese tourism, but its name "Ma Ta Fei Yan" is a household name. So when was this pegasus flying on a swallow, when was it discovered? What kind of magic does it have that makes people be impressed at the first sight of it, and what kind of home country story does the powerful dynasty behind it have and it? Also, why do we always see side shots of it and rarely see its frontal shots?
With these questions, let's take a look at "Ma Ta Fei Yan".
1. Geographical location introduction
In the northwest region of China, there is a city in the central part of Gansu Province called Wuwei, called Liangzhou in ancient times, as early as the Han and Tang Dynasties, Liangzhou is the largest ancient city in the northwest region of the mainland after Chang'an, the great poet Wang Han of the Tang Dynasty wrote "Grape wine luminous cup, want to drink pipa immediately urge." Drunkenly lying on the battlefield Jun Mo smiled, and Gu Lai conquered several people back. ”
Another great poet, Wang Zhizhuo, once wrote: "The Yellow River is far above the white clouds, a lonely city of Wanlingshan." Qiang Di why should he complain about Yang Liu, the spring wind does not pass the jade door. ”
Liangzhou is located on the Hexi Corridor, is an important city on the Silk Road, at the same time, Liangzhou was also a highly prosperous economic, political and cultural area at that time, where the song and dance are prosperous, but also located in the border plug, ethnic minorities, with a strong local atmosphere. It was once known as "Dream Liangzhou, The Capital of Northwest China", "Wuliang Jinghua, Hexi Metropolis".
After several dynasties and dynasties, this is a place where soldiers and families must fight, and the material trade and cultural exchanges between the Central Plains and the Western Regions must be gathered here.
The name "Wuwei" was first derived from Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, in the second year of the Western Han Dynasty (121 BC), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent the general Huo Toyi to expedition to Hexi and defeat the Xiongnu. After that, the Western Han government set up counties in the Hexi Corridor, in order to highlight the martial arts military prestige of the Han Empire, in the former Xiu Tu King's territory set up Wuwei County, Wuwei got its name, dating back to more than 2100 years.
Han Xing as for Xiao Wu. The four yi, Guangweide, and Zhang Qian began to open the traces of the Western Regions. Subsequently, the general hussars broke through the xiongnu's right land, surrendered the hun evil and the king of Hutu, and divided Wuwei, Zhangye, and Dunhuang, with four counties and two passes.
- "The Book of Han and the Tale of the Western Regions"
2. Excavation of "Ma Ta Fei Yan"
In modern times, in the north of Wuwei, there is a rammed earth platform of about 50,000 square meters, and the locals call this rammed earth platform Lei Tai. LeiTai is a Taoist building, the Lei Zu Temple, which is said to be dedicated to the god of thunder. No one thought that there was an underground world under this building, and no one expected that the famous Ma Ta Fei Yan would be unearthed here.
One day in September 1969, villagers in Leitai, Wuwei, Gansu Province, as usual, dug a war-ready tunnel two kilometers north of the city, south of the Leitai Ancestral Temple. The tunnel was dug to a depth of more than ten meters, the villagers felt that the pickaxe could not be dug, and there was a blue-gray brick wall in the ground, and people speculated that it was dug into the thunder altar, and they could not help but feel a little frightened. After all, it is said that the thunder altar was an altar where ordinary people used to sacrifice to the gods of heaven and pray for the wind and rain to be smooth, and Kangtai to be safe, and if they dug down like this, would they alarm the so-called gods and collide with the ancestors? Strong curiosity, driven them to lift the pickaxe, smashed to the ancient brick wall, a few pickaxes down, only to hear a rumble, the brick wall cracked, a cold breath straight out, only to see a burial chamber, impressively appeared in front of people, this is a brick structure of the ancient tomb, the tomb is very deep, the space inside is very large.
The villagers walked in with courage, only to see that there was some clutter inside, probably it had been stolen before, but still left a wealth of remains. There are a large number of copper figurines, copper horses, and copper carts, which are mainly placed in the front room and the south ear chamber of the front room, highlighting the strong financial resources and prominent position of the tomb owner. And "Ma Ta Fei Yan" is among them.
It was 1969, and people had a weak sense of the law, no sense of "handing over the country", and only knew that the things dug out were very valuable. The villagers packed them into sacks and used rack carts to hide them in the warehouses of the village brigade. It was suggested that these "copper lumps" should be sold to the scrap recycling station, and the money exchanged would be used to add a working animal to the commune.
Half a month later, the news of the discovery of the ancient tomb quickly spread in Wuwei, and Dang Shoushan, a former cadre in charge of cultural relics in Wuwei County, rushed to the scene, and after several twists and turns, finally saw the cultural relics stacked in the warehouse of the production team, when these cultural relics were all squeezed into a black fuel tank and seriously damaged. He felt that the stakes were high, so he reported to the relevant departments in Gansu Province.
Soon, the Gansu Provincial Department of Culture sent relevant experts from the Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology to Wuwei to conduct a detailed investigation of the ancient tomb. It is preliminarily determined that the tomb is dated to the late Eastern Han Dynasty, and the owner of the tomb is a general surnamed Zhang, which is a joint burial tomb of General Zhang and his wife. In the ancient tomb, experts also cleaned out nearly 200 pieces of bronze utensils such as exquisitely designed and uniquely shaped copper branch lamps, copper pots, copper smokers, etc., which are of high archaeological and artistic value. Because the tomb was found in the Leitai Ancestral Temple, it was named the Leitai Tomb. The arrival of cultural relics and archaeologists in Gansu Province saved the Leitai Tomb and many cultural relics, so that precious cultural relics such as copper galloping horses escaped the fate of being sold as waste.
Subsequently, the Gansu provincial government sent people to transport these cultural relics excavated from the Leitai Tomb to the Provincial Museum in Lanzhou for proper preservation in two parts. But at this time, no one realized that among these cultural relics, there would be a national treasure that would later be famous all over the world. This has something to do with the wisdom of a Bole.
3. The origin of the name "Ma Ta Fei Yan"
In mid-to-late September 1971, Guo Moruo accompanied Prime Minister Bin Nu of the Kingdom of Cambodia's National Unity Government and led a government delegation to visit northwest China. On the afternoon of September 19, Guo Moruo, who likes cultural relics, specially visited the Gansu Provincial Museum. In the museum, Guo Moruo, who had seen countless precious cultural relics, was attracted by a group of bronze carriages and horses, and asked the staff to take the leading horse out of the honor guard team, put it on the table, and repeatedly view it from all angles.
This leading horse is 34.5 cm high, 13 cm wide, 45 cm long and weighs 7.15 kg. The image is of a galloping horse, with its head held high, slightly tilted to the left, the mane on the top of the head and the tail behind it flying backwards in unison, the rounded body is streamlined, the four hooves are off the ground, only the right hind hoof is on the back of a bird, and the bird turns its head in shock. An incredible and dreamlike moment was frozen. Guo Lao was deeply moved, and he was amazed at the impeccable posture and perfect sense of balance of this cultural relic.
After Guo Moruo saw it, lian said that it was too good, really bold, when he heard that this cultural relic had not yet been named, Guo Moruo improvised at the scene to name this cultural relic "Ma Ta Fei Yan".
However, the world-famous cultural relics of "Ma Ta Fei Yan" were incomplete when they were just excavated, there were many small holes in the horse's neck, a few strands of mane on the horse's head and horse's tail had fallen off, coupled with improper storage and handling, the damage was very serious, so it was sent to the Palace Museum by the relevant departments of Gansu Province, and handed over to Mr. Zhao Zhenmao, a famous bronze restoration expert, for repair.
In the specific restoration process, Mr. Zhao used the soldering method, the traditional old method, when he saw that the hollow 3 horseshoe hoof hearts are empty, he relied on his many years of cultural relics restoration experience, the soil and some Zhang Danhong with glue mixed well, into the horseshoe hoof core to fill, so that after restoration, it looks similar to the original cast mold soil of Ma Ta Fei Yan.
At the end of 1971, at the strong recommendation of Guo Moruo, the group of bronzes excavated from the Wuwei Leitai Tomb was transferred to Beijing to participate in the exhibition held in the Forbidden City.
Later, the bronze galloping horse toured the exhibition in twelve countries such as France, Britain, and Japan, and had a high reputation at home and abroad.
As the copper galloping horse becomes more and more popular, people have more curiosity and controversy about it, such as what breed of copper galloping horse is this copper galloping horse? What bird is it stepping on? Why can we only see its side shot, what does its front photo look like?
What breed of horses
Some people say that the original form of this copper galloping horse is a sweat and blood BMW, and it is related to the Silk Road, and it is a good horse obtained from the West by Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty through the Silk Road during the Western Han Dynasty.
During the Western Han Dynasty, when Zhang Qian was on a mission to the Western Regions and passed through the kingdom of Dawan (Yuān), he saw the country's famous horse Ahar Tejin Horse, that is, a sweat-and-blood BMW that was talked about by history books and later generations.
This horse has a long body and high body, both speed and endurance, and is an excellent war horse. According to historical records, the sweat and blood BMW is unusual, running fast, strong durability, and can even travel thousands of miles a day. When it runs, the neck close to the shoulder blade position, will ooze red beads of sweat, the so-called "red sweat, foam ochre", "sweat blood" is derived from this.
After Zhang Qian returned to the Han Dynasty, he described the scenery of the Western Regions to Emperor Wu of Han and introduced the sweat and blood BMW, and Emperor Wu of Han showed great interest in the sweat and blood BMW of the Great WanGuo.
The reason why Emperor Wudi of Han was so interested in sweat and blood horses was because during the Western Han Dynasty, in order to resist the Xiongnu, Emperor Wudi of Han on the one hand had to carry out agricultural production and develop the economy at home; on the other hand, he also had to improve his military strength externally and equip soldiers with good horses. Emperor Wu of Han heard that the western yuān state had purebred horses, so he sent people to buy the horses of the Great Wan kingdom with golden horses of the same price.
However, Dawanguo did not agree to this transaction, and after seeing the gold, he became murderous, killing the envoys of the Han Dynasty and taking away the golden horse. Emperor Wu of Han was furious when he heard the news, believing that guowei had been challenged, and ordered the general Li Guangli to conquer the Western Regions twice, destroying the Western Regions, including the Great Wanguo. After this battle, he forced the Great Wanguo to propose peace, and gave the Han dozens of sweat and blood horses, and thousands of good stallions.
Emperor Wu of Han, who had always loved horses, was very happy after getting the sweat and blood BMW, and personally named the sweat and blood BMW Pegasus, and made a "West Pole Pegasus Song":
Pegasus from the West Pole.
After thousands of miles, there is virtue.
Chengling Wei surrendered to foreign countries.
Wading through quicksand and four yi suits.
With the continuous eastward arrival of good horses in the western region, Wuwei, an important city on the Silk Road, one of the "Four Counties of Hexi", became a base for horse breeding, and in the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, officials were also set up in Wuwei to manage horse herding. It is precisely because Wuwei has too many good horses, providing a steady stream of artistic prototypes for the casters, so the most perfect copper galloping horse can be born here. And some people believe that the original form of the copper galloping horse is dawan from the western region.
There are also people found that the copper galloping horse on the same side of the two legs, at the same time to rise in one direction, popularly speaking, is to turn, there is a professional term in equestrian sports called "contralateral step", also called "walking horse", it is said that the sweat blood BMW is a master of walking on the opposite side of the step, so some people say that the original shape of the copper galloping horse is the sweat and blood BMW of the Western Regions.
On the whole, the bronze galloping horse is a witness to the ancient exchanges between China and the West, and it is also a manifestation of the brave and heroic spirit and uplifting spirit of the Han Dynasty, reflecting the strength and prosperity of the Han Dynasty.
What animal is stepping on the feet
The bird at the feet of the copper galloping horse has also become a point of contention. At that time, Guo Moruo decided at a glance that this was a swallow, so he named this work "Ma Ta Fei Yan", but careful people saw the flaws, because the swallow's tail was forked, the bird's tail was not forked, straight and powerful, square, and not very flexible.
In the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a literary scholar Zhang Heng who wrote a poem "Tokyo Fu", which has two sentences called "Dragon Bird Cockroach, Tianma Half Han." "The dragon finches fly freely in the sky, and the pegasus gallops freely on the ground. So what is a "dragon sparrow"? It is a kind of falcon, so some people, including some mainstream media, think that it should be called "Ma Ta Dragon Sparrow" or "Ma Chao Dragon Sparrow".
In addition, there are some names, such as flying swallow, horse raiding crow, eagle skimming horse, horse stepping flying falcon, Lingyun galloping horse and so on...
But it is not easy to read, so people still commonly call it "Ma Ta Fei Yan", the name is literary, catchy, and easier to spread.
Therefore, from 1971, When Guo Moruo named it "Ma Ta Fei Yan", until it was renamed in 2018, people generally called it "Ma Ta Fei Yan".
On June 5, 2018, the Gansu Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics released a press release, and relevant experts unanimously insisted on using the name "Copper Galloping Horse", saying that the name was "scientific, accurate and standardized".
So now, the official name for this cultural relic is "copper galloping horse". The name "Ma Ta Fei Yan", because although it is literary and easy to spread, it lacks scientificity and is not very rigorous, so it is changed.
However, for the newly changed name "Copper Galloping Horse", some people also raised objections, saying that there is still a bird at the feet of the horse, the name is "Copper Galloping Horse", and there is no mention of the bird at all.
In short, the official name of this cultural relic is "Copper Galloping Horse", and the bird under the foot is "Dragon Sparrow", which is a more recognized statement.
However, these names are still flawed, and the controversy over the name of the artifact and the bird at its feet is likely to continue.
What does the front look like?
Whether it is the official picture or the picture taken by netizens, careful readers will find a problem, that is, almost all the photos of copper galloping horses are taken on the side, and it is difficult for you to find the front photos of copper galloping horses!
Is it because the front is too ugly, the image is poor and the temperament is not good?
Is it because you can't see the bird under your feet when you shoot it from the front?
Let's unveil the positive image of the copper galloping horse, and you will know why after reading it!
Surprise? Accidental? Hahaha, didn't you stop laughing? Because the positive expression looks too joyful, from the positive point of view, this horse is running too fast, its expression has obviously lost its "management", not only tilting its head and body to one side, but also opening its mouth, as if it is releasing itself.
But you know what? Such a funny expression is actually very realistic, that is to say, the facial expression of this copper galloping horse is not an exaggerated performance, but a realistic work based on reality!
When designing the image, the ancient casting masters used unique ideas, careful calculations, and combined with the actual situation, so that this copper galloping horse has both the momentum of galloping and the principle of mechanical balance. Horses running fast are like this! No wonder Guo Moruo praised it as "both form and spirit, vivid and vivid, wonderful and powerful." ”
Although the ancients vividly restored the corrective posture of this horse, for us, it will always feel a little funny, which is not in line with the temperament of national treasure-level cultural relics! So in most of the later photos, including elementary school textbooks, this bronze galloping horse appeared in a side image!
However, because the front looks too cute, the Gansu Provincial Museum has launched a set of "Shen Ma Lai" series of emojis according to the characteristics of the copper galloping horse, which has a strong response and is very popular.
1. Hello
2. Than heart
3. Applause
The Gansu Provincial Museum has launched a total of 16 groups of memes, and will continue to update in the future, interested friends can go to the Internet to find.
Two days ago, on January 16, the Gansu Provincial Museum launched the "Shen Ma Lai" series of copper galloping horse cultural and creative products, once launched, it quickly became popular, ins wind earrings, refrigerator stickers, "green horse" masks and other more than 30 kinds of copper galloping horse cultural and creative products are loved by people, many visitors have tried to wear a funny green horse hood with crooked heads and squinting eyes. During the Spring Festival, the latest emoji packs will also be launched. Netizens have said: A little heartwarming!
brief summary:
In its previous life, it was originally shaped in a sweat and blood BMW, representing a spirit of bravery and bravery and upliftment, showing the strength and prosperity of the Han Dynasty.
In this life, it has gone from being almost sold by villagers as scrap copper and rotten iron, to "Bole" Guo Moruo's wisdom and pearls, naming it "Ma Ta Fei Yan", which has been widely praised in various cultural relics exhibitions at home and abroad. Now, this bronze galloping horse is a graphic symbol of Chinese tourism, a national treasure-level cultural relic, representing a pioneering spirit and striving forward, implying the take-off and development of China's tourism industry and the entire Chinese nation.